Production of gluten-free beer brewing from sorghum malts mashed without external enzyme preparations

One of the main substrates for beer production is barley malt. Due to that fact, consumption of the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world is limited for the population suffering from celiac disease and other disorders. However, there are various cereals and pseudocereals which are gluten-free and could possibly be utilised for the malt and beer production. In this study, we have determined that it is possible to produce gluten-free beer from two sorghum varieties (GK Emese and Anggy) without the use of external amylolytic enzymes, only by application of malting and decoction mashing procedures. Sorghum beers were characterised with lower alcohol and higher extract content than control barley malt beer sample. Concentration of various volatiles, such as so-called fusel alcohols, was also lower in the sorghum beers produced in this study. [Display omitted] •Starch in sorghum malts saccharified fully during decoction mashing.•Beers brewed from sorghum malts were characterised with lower degree of attenuation.•Lower concentration of ‘fusel alcohols’ was detected in sorghum beers.•Sorghum beers possessed lower concentration of ethyl esters in beverage volatilome.